MC named one of Southeast's top colleges by The Princeton Review

MC named one of Southeast's top colleges by The Princeton Review

Maryville College is one of the top colleges in the Southeast, according to The Princeton Review.

The 192-year-old liberal arts college is one of the 135 institutions recommended by the education services company in its “Best in the Southeast” section of its website feature, "2012 Best Colleges: Region by Region," which was posted this week on PrincetonReview.com.

“We are happy to be listed as one of the top schools in the region, and we believe that the liberal arts education offered at Maryville College best prepares students for uncertain times,” said Dr. Tom Bogart, Maryville College president. “The college search is an important process for students and their families, and guidebooks like The Princeton Review can serve as a great resource at the beginning. But we encourage prospective students to visit campuses, talk with students and professors and, if possible, arrange for class visits and overnight stays to determine if particular colleges and universities are good ‘fits’ for their academic goals. We offer these ‘fact finding’ visits at Maryville College and invite prospective students of all ages to check us out.”

The company identified 629 colleges “that we feel stand out as academically excellent institutions of higher learning,” according to The Princeton Review’s website. While there were no mathematical calculations or formulas used to determine which colleges to include in the feature, the organization aimed to provide “an inclusive mix” of colleges, the website said.

The colleges selected had to meet two criteria: first, colleges had to meet The Princeton Review’s standards for academic excellence within their region, and second, the organization had to have the ability to survey the college’s students anonymously, either through their online survey or through their paper survey.

The survey focuses on the best colleges in four regions: Northeastern, Western, Midwestern and Southeastern. Students are asked to answer questions in four main sections: “About Yourself,” “Your School’s Academics/Administration,” “Students” and “Life at Your School.”

Based on the surveys, students said Maryville College is “academically challenging” … “a small, liberal arts college” “tucked away in the Smoky Mountains” of Tennessee.

Students talked about the College’s distinctives, including being one of the oldest colleges in the United States. Maryville College’s “broad and extensive” core curriculum was also mentioned, as well as the senior thesis and comprehensive exam requirement.

Students also appreciate the College’s major in sign language interpreting, which includes “the opportunity to take American Sign Language (ASL) as a foreign language credit.” Students also like the College’s “great study abroad program,” which offers “cross-cultural learning opportunities in places as far-flung as China, Tunisia and South Africa.”

The surveys included positive responses about the College’s faculty, too. One student called lectures “enthralling.” Another said that professors “love to teach and are good at it too.”

“They (professors) encourage discussion constantly in the classroom,” one student wrote, while another said students are showered with attention outside of class and that they are “more than welcome to come by” any professor’s office.

Students called Maryville College a “small college with a strong sense of community,” according to the survey results.

One first-year student said, “I love being able to know everyone.” Another student called students at Maryville College “well-rounded and easygoing,” and “most are fun to be around and also know when to take time to study instead of goofing off.”

Other students appreciated the diversity from the international/study abroad community.

In the surveys, students praised the College’s “beautiful” campus, which has “lots of green grass and trees.”

Student life at Maryville College can be “wonderfully busy,” one student wrote, or “very laid-back,” wrote another student.

Other students mentioned the College’s unique traditions, as well as its abundance of extracurricular activities and intramural sports.